As has been well publicised, honeybee numbers are in decline. This year is the worst Andre has experienced since he began beekeeping in 2007. Cardona & Son Spirit Co's Hitchin Honey spirits range. A clementine and spiced gin is planned for Christmas (Image: Adam Parker Photography)

But the focus is also to continue to spread the message about the importance of bees. ‘We've loved introducing people to our honeybees over the summer - it's been so rewarding to watch people interacting with honeybees for the very first time. Andre’s approach to the hives is slow and methodical and I take note that he advises the group not to wave their arms around, as this in fact is more likely to attract them. I am surprised that I feel quite calm. One hardworking honey bee produces one 12th of a teaspoon in its entire lifetime (which can last from 36 days in peak summer to 3-4 months in winter). This equates to 12 honey bees producing that single teaspoon. A yummy spoonful of honey stirred into porridge or a smoothie can brighten up breakfast time but take a moment with every mouthful to appreciate their un-bee-lievable dedication. Personalisation is available on the following 70cl Gins; Harrington Dry Gin, London Dry Gin, Lemon Balm Gin, Honeybee Gin, Elderflower Gin, Rhubarb Gin, Raspberry Gin, Sloe Gin, Spring Blossom, Strawberry & Rose Gin and Christmas Cake Gin A total winner with Mediterranean tonic and a sprig of sage if you’ve got one nearby. What's the story?Frank Meier's ownership is reasserted in his 1936 book, The Artistry of Mixing Drinks, where the recipe is accompanied by a design that signifies the recipe was one of his own.

Cardona and Son Spirit Co was launched two years ago and with the success of its Hitchin Honey Gin and Hitchin Honey Spiced Rum, in the summer they launched Hitchin Elderflower and Borage Honey Gin. Andre is working on a clementine and spiced gin for Christmas. If you divide one drink between two Champagne glasses and fill the rest with bubbly, you’ll find yourself with a French 75.I find the hum not frightening but rather hypnotic. And then there is a loud buzz in my left ear. It’s disconcerting. Is it in my suit or outside? Early in the book I spoke in disparaging terms of the Bee's Knees. This, however, was because as it originally came out during prohibition days it consisted of equal parts of lemon juice, honey, and gin. If made as a variation of the standard Gin Sour, merely substituting honey for the sugar syrup, it is acceptable. David A. Embury, The Fine Art of Mixing Drinks, 1948 Andre points out that the nectar they collect is a different colour depending on what flower it has been collected from and you can visibly see this. I used Rieger’s Dry Gin, which is distilled here in Kansas City. The Rieger distillery is manufacturing tons of hand sanitizer right now, so I’m featuring their beautiful product as my own little thank you. Bee’s Knees Variations

When Andre takes out the first honey frame covered with bees there is a collective intake of breath from the group. It is incredible to see these creatures at work and I feel rather privileged. It became apparent that Charles and Tim had both come to the same conclusion – namely that the growing prevalence and popularity of premium spirits had not been matched by what was on offer in the tonic category.

A treat at the end of our experience was a glass of honey gin from Cardona’s range, which was met with nods of approval from the group. ‘Honey is such a versatile and delicious ingredient,’ explains Andre. ‘We have experimented in the past with making our own meade and kombucha with tasty results but we knew when we infused some of our own raw honey with a delicious London dry gin that we'd come across a winner.’ You have 60,000 bees all working cohesively for the greater good. They cannot survive on their own, they need to work together to survive. We could learn a lot from them.' Gin Fans, did you know you can personalise your very own bottle of Warner’s Gin! With up to 20 characters, you can customise a bottle with a message of your choice for your friends and loved ones (or even yourself!) I ask if the hives have their own characters. ‘Each colony definitely has their own character,’ Andre says. ‘They are generally based on what the queen is like and which drones she has chosen to mate with. Our colonies are generally quite mild-mannered. Colonies generally remain in the hive. Sometimes the colony may swarm if they run out of room in the hive or a new queen is ready to hatch.’ Andre is passionate about protecting the honeybee and describes them as ‘unsung heroes’. There are 270 species of bee in the UK, of which just under 250 are solitary bees. They are vital to pollinate crops and many of the trees and flowers that provide habitats for wildlife. It is estimated that one third of the food we consume relies on pollination, mainly by bees.

How do you like your honey? Swirled in a smoothie? Spread on toast? Drizzled over pancakes? This iconic ingredient truly takes any tasty treat to the next level and is so naturally moreish, there’s no doubt you’d devour that honey-laden loveliness in seconds. What’s ultra-impressive is that it’s all thanks to a lifetime of work by a tiny — but incredibly talented — creature: the honey bee.He hopes to expand the business nationally with a percentage of profits used to support local biodiversity projects, as well as continuing to build new hives and cultivate raw honey. If you want more of a casual, long sipper, pour the ingredients over ice and top it off with club soda (essentially a Tom Collins). Bees are so important to our ecosystem and it's imperative we do everything we can to protect them. One thing we can all do to help is to create pollinator friendly habitats. Whether that's not mowing all of your lawn, planting wildflowers or even installing a bee hotel. The more pollen and nectar we can make available for our pollinators the more chance they have of survival.’ Andre continues: ‘When scout bees find a good source of nectar or pollen they tell the other bees of their discovery by doing a special dance on the honeycomb called the waggle dance which communicates the distance and direction of the source.' Fever-Tree began in 2003 with a meeting of minds and one simple premise: if three quarters of your G&T is the tonic, wouldn’t you want it to be the best?